FURNISHINGS in the house have been put in order with walls repainted in green, but the neighbours are making a mess outside the gates. That is how things are stacking up for Pas, all stemming from its success in weeding out discordant elements from the Erdogan camp during the party’s most defining polls to date in 2015.
As the party busies itself with preparations for its 63rd muktamar (general assembly), to be held at the party complex in Kota Sarang Semut this Saturday, former Pakatan Rakyat colleagues DAP and the Erdogan camp’s Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) have been busy picking on Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on his private member’s bill, and for being friendly with Umno. But, the attacks are far from the party leaders’ top concerns.
The real issue at hand centres on the ebbing Pas-PKR pact. It first suffered strain after PKR refused to renounce ties with DAP and PAN, both of which harbour long-standing bad blood with Pas. Things have snowballed since.
“It is not easy, but we are forging ahead. We know where we stand when it comes to the party’s direction. Of course, this year’s party election is not just about housekeeping, but our ties with other parties as well, including Umno,” a senior Selangor Pas leader said.
True enough, this year’s party election will not likely place much significance on Pas’s political trajectory. Otherwise, party secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan’s nomination for vice-president would have made week-long waves in the headlines.
Over the past month, all eyes have been trained on the potential change in Pas’s relationship with PKR; the only pact that excludes other opposition parties to maintain political stability in the Selangor government.
But, loud calls and the recent motions submitted on reviewing their cooperation are enough to sow a certain degree of distrust between the two parties.
While initially the straightforward answer accorded to journalists would be along the lines of, “the motions on reviewing the ties will be considered for deliberation during the assembly”, now, more Pas leaders are suggesting that the motions would be accepted without the show of hands.
That is to say, any inclination on the motions, prior to be studied by the Syura Council (Pas’s highest decision-making body), would be as definitive as “the beauty of the moon”, so goes the favoured Arabic expression among some Al-Azhar University graduates in the Islamic party.
Pas Ulama information chief Datuk Dr Khairuddin Aman Razali has issued a warning, or a reminder, that only the big boys have what it takes to set foot in Malay-majority seats.
“Pas will contest in 80 Malay (parliamentary) seats against Umno. Pakatan Harapan does not step in. No to PAN. No to PPBM (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) either. PKR to contest the same seats as in the 13th General Election. The same goes for DAP,” he said. “(That way), there will only be straight fights (against Barisan Nasional).”
And, Khairuddin did not forget to extend a special mention for his former colleagues in PAN.
“But, is PAN prepared to refrain from contesting in the election? Or, are PKR and DAP ready to make way and provide seats to PAN without encroaching on Pas’s traditional seats?”
Political scientist Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Fuad Othman, however, suggests that Pas should not overcompensate its ability in GE14, especially in the fluid political landscape.
“Pas is banking on its vast experience and political machineries. Furthermore, it is assuming that its base support is still rock solid although there has been an exodus of members (now PAN leaders), especially among the professionals.”
But, Pas remains undoubtedly indifferent to the idea of going separate ways from any ally, including PKR. The confidence is seeded by its incumbency in Kelantan and the motley “third bloc” Gagasan Sejahtera, which, nevertheless, has yet to gain the necessary clout.
While it prides on the success of the RUU355 gathering in February, which saw huge numbers of Pas supporters, some quarters have questioned whether the party can afford to risk its gateways to urban voters — its position in Selangor and the lack of so-called moderate and professional leaders.
Be that as it may, analyst Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling begs to differ especially in the context of Selangor, where in 2013, Malay voters formed 49.7 per cent of the total registered voters, spread across more than 25 state seats.
“Pas need not worry about losing urban votes.
“As long as it concentrates on winning Muslim voters, the party will not need PKR’s help in that aspect.
“But, the same could not be said about PKR.
“There are many Malay seats in Selangor. Only parties without strong Malay grassroots support should be worried about their chances in winning the state’s largest electorate.”
Pas appears to be ready, as often repeated by Hadi, to lead a separate charge in GE14 whenever there is a question on the possibility. The party has already claimed victory in tabling of the private member’s bill, which serves as a huge moral boost for Pas hardliners.
Looks like Pas does not plan to score big in the GE14,but more to prove its mettle as the independent factor capable of swaying crucial votes. That, and the political decimation of former allies.
The writer, Syed Umar Ariff, an avid coffee drinker, is NST’s political desk specialist writer. He also has a penchant for pointing out the obvious. He can be reached via sumar@nst.com.my